Collapsible container with integrally supported

ABSTRACT

A reusable and returnable container for holding product therein during shipment and subsequently being returned generally empty of product for reuse comprises a body configured for being manipulated into an erected position for containing a product placed therein during shipment and for subsequently being manipulated into a collapsed position for reducing the size of the container for return. An integrated dunnage structure is coupled to the body and is operable for moving into an engagement position when the container body is erected to thereby engage a product placed in the container for shipment. The dunnage structure is further operable for moving into a relaxed position when the container body is collapsed so that the container and dunnage structure may be returned together for reuse. The container provides reusable dunnage which is usable with the container when it is shipped and subsequently remains with the container when it is returned for being reused when the container is again shipped. In a preferred embodiment, pliable dunnage pouches are suspended in the container and collapse when the container is collapsed.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to shipping containers used toship products, and more specifically to collapsible containers which arereturnable in an empty state for reuse.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Returnable and reusable containers are utilized by manufacturers to shipa variety of different products to end users which are usually assemblyplants. For example, in the automobile industry, an assembly plantassembling a particular automobile might utilize a number of differentparts manufacturers. These manufacturers ship their respective parts tothe assembly plant in reusable containers where the parts are thenassembled together into a finished automobile. The reusable containersare then returned to the parts manufacturers for use in furthershipments. The return and reuse of such containers results in asubstantial savings in shipping and packaging costs for themanufacturer, as may be appreciated, because they reduce the number ofnew containers which must be purchased. Furthermore, the returnedcontainers alleviate the assembly plant's task of having to store,destroy, or otherwise dispose of the containers, thus resulting insubstantial cost savings to the plant.

While such returnable and reusable containers reduce shipping costs byeliminating the need to constantly purchase new containers, it is stillrelatively costly to provide for their return shipment. This isparticularly so since the charge rate for return shipment is based uponthe volume of the container and upon the number of containers whichmight be situated in a return vehicle, such as a truck. Withconventional containers used in the past, there has been a one-to-one(1:1) return-to-shipment ratio because an empty container occupies thesame shipping space as a full container. Therefore, there is essentiallynot much of a shipping cost savings when returning an empty reusablecontainer even though the empty container weighs less because it doesnot contain product.

Furthermore, the cost of storing conventional reusable containersreduces the economic benefits they offer because empty containersrequire the same warehouse or storage space as full containers.Container storage may be necessary for the plant before return shipmentcan be arranged. Similarly, the manufacturer will often store thecontainers on site to have them on hand and ready for shipment. Suchstorage space is often limited and it is usually desirable to utilizethe space for something other than bulky, empty containers waiting to beshipped or returned. Therefore, the economic benefits of currentlyavailable reusable containers is further reduced by the cost both to theend user assembly plant and manufacturer in storage space requirements.

Some currently available reusable containers have addressed suchproblems by being collapsible into a smaller size or volume to therebyrequire less space when returned or stored. For example, some availablereusable containers are collapsible into a volume essentially one-third(1/3) or one-fourth (1/4) of their volume when shipped full of product.This provides a three-to-one (3:1) or four-to-one (4:1)return-to-shipment ratio, and thus, provides a substantial savings inreturn shipment costs. That is, a truck returning the containers to theoriginating site can carry three or four times the number of empty,collapsed containers as full containers. Additionally, collapsed, storedcontainers require substantially less storage space. One such currentlyavailable collapsible container is produced by the Ropak Corporation ofGeorgetown, Ky., and can be reduced or collapsed to a size which isone-third (1/3) the size of a full, erected container. Anothercollapsible and reusable container is available from MONOFLOInternational, Inc. of Winchester, Va. and reduces to one-fourth (1/4)the size of the erected container.

While such containers address the issue of return shipment and storagecosts, they still have certain drawbacks. For example, it may benecessary to utilize dunnage elements, such as partitions or separatingstructures, in the container during shipment for separating andprotecting the products shipped in the container. The separate dunnageelements must be handled accordingly apart from the container duringshipment and return. That is, when the container has been assembled intoan erected form for shipment and dunnage elements are to be utilized,the dunnage must be separately inserted and secured within thecontainer. Subsequently, prior to return shipment, any dunnage elementsutilized within the container must be detached and removed therefrombefore the container can be collapsed into the smaller, returnableshape. As may be appreciated, the dunnage elements are then discarded orotherwise disposed of by the assembly plant adding to the plant'soverall cost for the shipment. Furthermore, the manufacturer mustconstruct or acquire new dunnage elements each time the returnedcontainer is reused for shipment and thus must incur the necessary costsassociated therewith. Additionally, the manufacturing labor associatedwith constructing and installing dunnage elements in a container, andthen the plant labor for collapsing, removing and disposing of thedunnage elements after shipment, further increases the cost of shippingproduct utilizing conventional containers. Therefore, even withcollapsible containers, high shipping costs are incurred on both ends,i.e., by the manufacturer who constantly acquires new dunnage elementsand by the assembly plant which constantly must dispose of the olddunnage elements or pay to have those dunnage elements returned with thecontainer.

The current prior art products have not recognized such a problem andcertainly have not addressed the resulting high shipping costs.Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to reduce theoverall shipping costs normally associated with shipping product. It isanother objective to reduce such shipping costs associated with bothoriginal shipment and return shipment.

It is further an objective of the present invention to reduce themanufacturer's time and labor costs associated with erecting a containerand constructing and securing dunnage elements therein to protect theshipped product.

It is still another objective to reduce the manufacturer's replacementcosts of dunnage elements for returned, reusable containers.

It is an additional objective to reduce storage space requirementsassociated with reusable containers and/or dunnage materials.

It is still another objective of the present invention to reduce thetime and labor costs to the assembly plant associated with removing,dismantling and discarding used dunnage elements prior to collapsing andreturning empty containers.

It is further an objective of the present invention to provide areturnable and reusable container which adequately contains and protectsproduct shipped therein and will occupy less space during returnshipment than during original shipment.

These objectives and other objectives will become more readily apparentfrom the further description of the invention below.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a reusable and returnable containerwhich has collapsible dunnage therein which is returnable and reusablealong with the container. The body of the container is configured andoperable for being manipulated into an erected position for containingproduct placed therein during shipment and for subsequently beingmanipulated, when empty of product, into a collapsed position forreducing the size of the container for return shipment. Dunnagestructures are positioned generally inside the container body and areoperably coupled to the body in accordance with the invention. Thedunnage structures move into an engagement position when the containerbody is erected to thereby engage and protect product placed in thecontainer for shipment. The dunnage structures also move into a relaxedposition when the container body is emptied of product and issubsequently collapsed so that the container and integrated dunnagestructures may be returned together for reuse. To reuse the dunnagestructures, the container is simply erected for another shipment and thedunnage structures will again move into the engagement position.Therefore, the invention provides reusable dunnage to protect shippedproduct and the dunnage is returnable with the returned container andwill always remain with the container. Therefore, the dunnage does nothave to be separately assembled and placed in the container.Furthermore, the dunnage does not have to be removed from the emptycontainer and discarded or otherwise handled. The invention furtherprovides dunnage which is always ready for use and which does not affectthe operation and collapsibility of the container. The dunnage isgenerally protected by the body of the container both during productshipment and during return shipment.

Since, the dunnage structures of the invention are operable to return toan engagement position or support position when the container is erectedfor shipment, new dunnage does not have to be constantly purchased bythe manufacturer for shipping product, thereby resulting in substantialcost savings to the manufacturer. Additionally, specialized labor is notrequired to construct and secure dunnage within the container, becausethe dunnage structures are already constructed and secured upon erectingthe container, thus yielding additional cost savings for themanufacturer. At the plant, the dunnage does not have to be removed,disassembled and discarded, thereby yielding substantial savings inlabor costs and disposal costs for the assembly plant. Both themanufacturer and plant also benefit from the reduced shipping andstorage requirements of the collapsed container.

One embodiment of the invention comprises a collapsible container havinga body with a pallet base or bottom and four opposing, collapsible sidewall structures or side walls which are hingedly coupled to thecontainer bottom along bottom edges thereof. The side walls are movablebetween an erected position generally perpendicular to the bottom and acollapsed position whereby they are folded inwardly of the container torest adjacent the bottom for reducing the volume of the empty containerbody prior to storage or return shipment. Pliable dunnage pouches areoperably coupled to the side walls.

In one embodiment, rail elements extend along the upper edges of twoopposing side walls, generally parallel to the side walls. When the sidewalls are erected, multiple flexible support structures, preferablyflexible cables, extend between the opposing side walls with their endssecured to the rail elements to span across the container. The pliabledunnage pouches, made of a suitable cloth or plastic material, aresecured to the support cables, such as by sewing or heat sealing, andare suspended therefrom so that the bottoms of the pouches arepreferably held above or are attached to the container bottom of theerected container. Attachment may be used to keep the pouches inposition. Products for shipment may then be inserted into the pouchesand are held and protected therein during shipment. The pouches engageand contain the products and prevent drastic movement within thecontainer and further separate the products to prevent abrasion orbreakage during shipment.

Alternatively, the pouches might be coupled at their ends directly tothe side walls thereby eliminating the support cables. In such anembodiment, the side walls would suspend the pouches rather than thecables.

To collapse the container, the opposing side walls are hinged downagainst the container bottom. When the side walls supporting the dunnagepouches are collapsed and are folded inwardly along their hinged bottomedges, the dunnage pouches are dropped into the bottom of the containerbody. The pouches drop with the flexing support cables which are relaxedor simply drop with the walls in the absence of cables. Preferably, theopposing side walls supporting the dunnage pouches are hinged downwardlyfirst and are then overlapped by the other set of side walls to form thecollapsed container. When the set of side walls supporting the dunnagepouches are collapsed first and then are covered or overlapped by theother set of opposing side walls, the dunnage is completely secured toand preferably contained within the collapsed container. The collapsedcontainer, including dunnage, may then be shipped or stored as a unitand is ready for reuse in accordance with the principles of theinvention. In a preferred embodiment, the vertical height of thecollapsed containers is about one-third (1/3) the height of the erectedcontainer to provide a three-to-one (3:1) return-to-shipment ratio.

In the embodiment of the invention using rail elements and cables, thecables are preferably slidably coupled to the rail elements for slidingthe pouches as desired in the container. Preferably, tensioners areconnected in-line with the cables to ensure proper tension on the cablesfor proper product support and protection by the dunnage pouches.Alternatively, the support cables might be rigidly attached and secureddirectly to the side walls without any rail elements.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the container comprises acollapsible and carryable tote having a generally smaller size body thanthe pallet container previously described so that it may be handledmanually. One embodiment of the tote container of the invention has abody which includes a bottom element, a top element and separatecollapsible side walls extending therebetween. Another tote containerembodiment has a unitary body which has integrally connected side walls.Dunnage, such as dunnage pouches, are coupled to the tote container bodyfor being used during shipment and returned with the container asdescribed.

One version of the tote container embodiment includes supportstructures, such as flexible support cables, which are operable tosuspend dunnage pouches in the tote container when the side walls areerected. Preferably, the cables are coupled to rail elements proximatethe top of the container and are slidable thereon for moving the poucheslaterally in the tote container. Alternatively, the cables might befixed directly to the container at the top thereof rather than to a railelement. Preferably, tensioner elements in-line with the cables providetension on the cables.

Alternatively, the dunnage pouches are coupled at their ends to the sidewalls or to the top element and are supported without cables. Thepouches are then raised and lowered when the side walls are erected orcollapsed as described.

The flexible support cables and dunnage pouches are lowered when theopposing side walls of the tote container are collapsed to thereby dropthe dunnage pouches between the side walls and to the bottom of the totecontainer. Unlike the pallet container embodiment previously described,the cables and pouches are not completely relaxed or flexed when thebody of the tote container is collapsed because the side walls arefolded down at their middle rather than folded inwardly from the bottom.The top of the container generally maintains its rectangular shape butis simply lowered toward the bottom of the container to lower thepouches. Therefore, the cables or pouches are always stretched betweenthe opposing sides of the tote container.

More specifically, a first set of side walls hinge at a top edge thereofand are movable between a vertical position and a horizontal positionproximate the top of the body. The other set of side walls foldsinwardly of the container generally in the middle of the side wall tolower the top of the container against the bottom of the container toreduce the overall height of the container. More particularly, an upperedge of the side wall is hingeally coupled to the top of the body whilea lower edge of the side wall is hingedly coupled to the bottom of thebody. The side walls also hinge inwardly intermediately between the topand bottom of the body. By folding the side walls inwardly at theirintermediate hinges, the side walls collapse and are folded generally inhalf to lower the top of the body toward the bottom of the body, andthus collapse the container and dunnage.

To collapse the tote container, the respective side walls having thesingle hinged edge are moved upwardly toward the top of the container tolie in a generally horizontal plane. Next, the foldable side walls arehinged at their top and bottom edges and generally in the middlesimultaneously to fold the side walls into the center of the containerso that the top of the container is lowered to a position adjacent thebottom of the container. As may be appreciated, when the first sidewalls are hinged, the pliable pouches are pushed upwardly from below andcollapse to rest on top of the side walls and generally adjacent to thetop of the container. In that way, the collapsed dunnage pouches arelowered to the container bottom when the container body is collapsed andthe vertical height of the container is reduced for return shipment.

To reuse the tote container and dunnage pouches, the top of thecontainer is lifted above the bottom of the container, and the foldedside walls are again erected outwardly from the center for suspendingthe dunnage pouches. Then, the other hinged side walls are swungdownwardly to the vertical position to complete the erected containerand to drop the dunnage pouches so that they are again suspended fromthe top of the container. The non-folding walls maintain the containerin the erect shape. In a preferred embodiment, the tote containercollapses to a vertical height approximately one-fourth (1/4) the heightof the erected tote container, thereby yielding approximately afour-to-one (4:1) return-to-shipment ratio.

Another alternative embodiment of the invention comprises a reusable andreturnable rack container which has a collapsible frame. The frame has abottom or base element and a top element situated vertically above thebottom element. A plurality of vertical legs are positioned between thebottom and top elements. The legs are operable for raising and loweringthe top of the frame to erect and collapse the rack. Dunnage, andpreferably dunnage pouches are supported on the rack in accordance withthe principles of the invention.

In one embodiment, each leg is hingedly coupled to the top frame elementat an upper end and to the bottom frame element at a lower end. The legshinge along their length between the top and bottom ends thereof andpreferably have a hinge structure situated proximate the middle of theleg. To collapse the rack, the respective hinged legs are folded in halfand inwardly to lower the top element or top of the frame toward aposition adjacent the bottom or bottom element of the frame. In thatway, the dunnage pouches are lowered and collapse to lie nested with thetop and bottom elements of the frame. The vertical height of the rack isreduced and the rack is ready for return shipment.

In an alternative embodiment, the rack legs are of a telescopingconstruction and will telescope in length to erect and collapse the rackcontainer. To reuse the rack container, the top of the frame is liftedabove the bottom of the frame, and the legs are again erected to suspendthe dunnage pouches. The hinged legs and telescoping legs are operableto lock in an erected position to keep the frame erect when so desired.

The rack container embodiment utilizes a collapsible dunnage structureas previously described. For example, dunnage pouches may be suspendedfrom flexible cables or may be fixed at their ends directly to the rackcontainer frame. When the rack container is collapsed, the dunnage isdropped to the bottom of the frame.

In still a further alternative embodiment of the invention, a containercomprises a base, a top, and a collapsible sleeve pack therebetween forcontaining the product and supporting the dunnage. More specifically,the sleeve pack includes two opposing, non-foldable side walls and twoopposing foldable side walls, which are hingedly coupled, along verticaledges thereof, to the non-foldable side walls. The dunnage of theinvention is coupled to either the foldable or non-foldable side walls.

When the container is erected, the dunnage pouches are held in anengagement position to engage, contain and protect product placedtherein. The dunnage pouches are held in the engagement position byflexible cables extending between two opposing side walls which arefixed to the side walls as described above. Alternatively, the ends ofthe pouches may be fixed to the side walls without cables.

To erect the container, the foldable side walls are situated to extendgenerally perpendicular to the non-foldable side walls to form a sleevepack which is fitted into a base and covered by a top. When thecontainer is erected, the dunnage pouches move from a relaxed orcollapsed position to an engagement position. A reinforcement bar may beused proximate one or both of the foldable side walls to maintain thecontainer in an erected position.

To return the container, the sleeve pack is removed from the bottom andis collapsed by folding the foldable side walls inwardly to bepositioned between the non-foldable side walls. The sleeve pack is thusflattened. In doing so, the dunnage pouches are moved to the collapsedposition between the walls of the sleeve pack. The flattened sleevepacks are then stacked and returned, occupying considerably less spacethan an erected sleeve pack container, and the dunnage remains with thesleeve pack to be re-used when the sleeve pack is again erected for acontainer.

Therefore, the collapsible container of the invention may be collapsedinto a form having a lower height and a smaller volume which ispreferably only about one-third (1/3) or one-fourth (1/4) of the volumeof the erected container. The usable and reusable dunnage thereinremains with the container and is stored in the container in thecollapsed state and automatically transforms into usable dunnage whenthe container is in the erected state. Accordingly, no dunnage removaland disposal costs are associated with collapsing the container forstorage and return and no dunnage manufacturing and assembly costs areassociated with erecting and shipping the container full of productbecause the dunnage is reusable with the container. The presentinvention thereby represents a substantial cost savings both in materialcosts and labor costs normally associated with handling dunnage whencontainers are shipped or returned. Furthermore, the erected containerof the invention maintains usable integral dunnage while still beingcollapsible to a smaller volume for reducing storage and return shipmentcosts.

The above and other objects and advantages of the present inventionshall be made apparent from the accompanying drawings and thedescription thereof.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an embodiment of the collapsiblecontainer with integrally supported dunnage of the invention showing anerected container with the dunnage in the engagement position to receiveproduct;

FIG. 1A is a cut-away view of FIG. 1 as indicated illustrating one wayof coupling support structures to the side walls of a container;

FIG. 1B is a cut-away view of an alternative embodiment of the inventionillustrating another way of coupling support structures to the sidewalls of a container;

FIG. 1C is a cut-away view of another alternative embodiment of theinvention illustrating another way of coupling support structures to theside walls of a container;

FIG. 1D is a cut-away view of another alternative embodiment of theinvention illustrating dunnage pouches coupled directly to the sidewalls of the container.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the container of FIG. 1 with one of theside wails in a collapsed position and dunnage moving to a collapsedposition;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the container of FIG. 1 with three ofthe side walls in a collapsed position illustrating the smaller volumeoccupied by a collapsed container;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment of thecollapsible container with integrally supported dunnage of the inventionshowing the container in a fully erected position;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the container of FIG. 4 showing thecontainer collapsing to a smaller volume with dunnage therein inaccordance with the principles of the present invention;

FIG. 5A is a cut-away view of an alternative version of a supportelement of the container illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of another alternative embodiment of thecollapsible container with integrally supported dunnage of the presentinvention showing the container in an erected position;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the container of FIG. 6 being collapsedwith the dunnage therein in accordance with the principles of thepresent invention;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of another alternative embodiment of thecollapsible container with integrally supported dunnage of the presentinvention showing the container in an erected position;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the container of FIG. 8 being collapsedwith dunnage therein in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention;

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of another alternative embodiment of thecollapsible container with integrally supported dunnage of the presentinvention showing the container in an erected position; and,

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the container of FIG. 10 beingcollapsed with dunnage therein in accordance with the principles of thepresent invention.

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and,together with a general description of the invention given above, andthe detailed description of the embodiments given below, serve toexplain the principles of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 shows a container constructed in accordance with the principlesof the present invention, and particularly illustrates a container 10having a pallet base 12 and often referred to as a pallet container.Container 10 is configured for being stacked and lifted from below by adevice such as a forklift. Container 10 comprises a pallet bottom orbase 12 having four side wall structures or side walls 14a, 14b, 14c and14d (14a-14d). The base 12 may have bottom channels 13 for receiving theforks of a forklift truck. The side walls are arranged to oppose eachother such that side wall 14a is opposed by side wall 14c and side wall14b is opposed by side wall 14d to form a generally rectangularboxed-shaped container. The opposing side walls 14a-14d are hinged on abottom edge 16 thereof for folding downwardly onto the pallet base orbottom 12 (see FIGS. 2 and 3). In that way, the container 10 may becollapsed into a container of reduced size for return shipment at areduced cost as is discussed further hereinbelow (see FIG. 3).

In a preferred embodiment of the invention as is illustrated in FIG. 1,the side walls are hingedly attached to base 12. For example, side wall14a includes a plurality of regularly spaced hinge structures 17 whichinclude indentations 18 configured to receive upwardly extendingprojections or tabs 20 on the base 12. An elongated hinge pin 22 extendsthrough appropriate openings (not shown) in the side wall indentations18 and projections 20. The hinge structures allow the side walls 14a-14dto hinge inwardly of the container 10 and toward base 12 on the hingeaxis 23.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the hinge structures 17 created by thecooperating projections 20 and indentions 18 and hinge pins 22 allow theside wall 14a to be moved from an erected position (FIG. 1) to acollapsed position (FIG. 2). The remaining side walls 14b, 14c and 14dare also hingedly attached to base 12 with hinge structures 17 and willsimilarly move between an erected position to erect the container and acollapsed position to collapse the container 10. As will be appreciatedby a person of ordinary skill in the art, other hinge structures thanthose shown might also be utilized.

When the container is assembled for use and shipment of product, theside walls 14a-14d are moved to an erected position as illustrated inFIG. 1. Adjacent side walls, such as side wall 14a and sidewall 14d,include cooperating members of a latching structure 26 for holding theside walls in an erected position. For example, latching structure 26might include a tab 28 extending from side wall 14d which is received byan appropriately structured groove or indentation 30 on the adjacentside wall 14a. The tab 28 and indentation 30 are appropriatelyconfigured to cooperate when the side walls are erected to latch theside walls in an erected position. They are subsequently releasable bypulling the tab 28 away from indentation 30, for example, to collapsethe side walls (see FIG. 2).

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, container 10includes a dunnage structure which is coupled to the side walls andpositioned generally inside the body of the container 10 formed by base12 and the opposing side walls 14a-14d. In one preferred embodiment, thedunnage structure includes a plurality of pliable pouches 40 which aresupported by support structures, such as flexible cables 32, which arecoupled between support rails 34 between two opposing side walls, suchas 14a and 14c. The pouches 40 may be made of, for example, a fabric orcloth material, such as heavy canvas, or plastic, such as a polyethyleneor polyester. Referring to FIG. 1, the cables 32 span between theopposing side walls 14a, 14c when the side walls are in an erectedposition to form container 10. Cables 32 are preferably coupled to thesupport rails 34 through a tensioning device, such as spring 36 asillustrated in FIG. 1A. The spring is attached at one end to a slidablecollar piece 38 which encircles rail 34 and slides thereon foradjustment of the spacing between adjacent cables 32 and pouches. Thecable 32 is simply clamped, tied or otherwise fastened to the other endof spring 36.

The pliable dunnage pouches 40 are secured to the cables 32 and aresuspended downwardly therefrom to hang inside of the container body 10.Each pouch has opposing sides 41a, 41b to contain and protect productplaced in the pouches 40. An opening 42 to each dunnage pouch 40 isformed between adjacent support cables 32 so that a product, such as anautomobile part, can be placed into the pouch for shipment. The dunnagepouches 40 engage the product and support the product in the containerwhen the pouches are in their engagement position as illustrated inFIG. 1. The adjacent parts in each of the dunnage pouches 40 areprotected by the pouch sides 41a, 41b from abrasions or breakage and thepouch is suspended above the container base 12 during shipment. In oneversion, as illustrated in the Figures, a cable 32 supports a wall fortwo adjacent pouches. For example, cable 32a supports pouch wall 41b andalso supports the pouch wall 41c of an adjacent pouch. Alternatively,each pouch wall might require a cable. Preferably, the upper edges 43 ofthe pouches 40 are sewn around the cables 32 or are heat sealed aroundthe cables for plastic pouch versions. Alternatively, some otherfastening methods might be used to fix the pouches to the cables. Thepouches may also be fixed directly to the walls as described below (FIG.1D).

To ship product, the side walls 14a-14d are hinged into an erectedposition and latched therein by latching structures 26. Upon erectingcontainers 10, the support cables 32 are stretched by the support rails34 which are coupled to the opposing side walls 14a and 14c by suitablemounting structures 44. When the cables 32 are stretched, the pouches 40are suspended within container 10 and are ready to receive product forshipment. Once the product is placed in the pouches, the full containermay then be shipped and the products will be protected both by thecontainer side walls 14a-14d and the integral suspended dunnage pouches40. The tension element or spring 36 insures that pouches 40 aresufficiently suspended and the spring preferably has an elasticity whichis suitable for suspending a pouch full of the product to be shipped inthe container 10. Spacing between the various cables 32 and pouches 40and the size of the openings 42 for the respective dunnage pouches 40may be changed by sliding the collar pieces 38 on respective cables 32along the support rails 34.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the dunnagestructure of container 10, such as the dunnage pouches 40, areintegrally operable with the container body 10 such that when the sidewalls 14a-14d are erected to form the container body, the support rails34 and cables 32 simultaneously erect the dunnage pouches into anoperable or engagement position. After the product has been removed fromthe various dunnage pouches 40, and the container 10 is ready to bereturned to the manufacturer, the side walls 14a-14d are moved to acollapsed position and the pouches to a relaxed position to reduce thesize of the container for a more inexpensive return shipment.

In an alternative embodiment of the invention as illustrated in FIG. 1B,the cables 32 might be fixed directly to side walls 14a, 14c through anopening 46 formed in the side wall such as side wall 14c. The end of thecable is then secured to the side wall, such as with a cable clip 48 orother suitable fastening structure. The cable 32 illustrated in FIG. 1Bwould then not generally be adjustable along the side wall but would befixed in its lateral position in the container 10. Similar to theembodiment illustrated in FIG. 1, the dunnage cables 32 directly fixedto the side walls 14a and 14c would be moved into a suspended positionto span between the erected sidewalls 14a and 14c when the container iserected. Furthermore, the flexible cables will relax when the side wallsare moved to a collapsed position.

FIG. 1D illustrates another version of the container of the inventionwherein the various support structures are eliminated. Therein, thedunnage structures, such as pouches 40, are directly coupled to the sidewalls without cables 32. For example, the pouches 40 have ends 45 whichextend through openings 47 formed in the side walls. The pouch ends 45are secured to the side walls 14 by mounting collars 51 or otherappropriate devices. When the side walls collapse, the pouches move to acollapsed position in accordance with the principles of the presentinvention. In another version, the pouches 40 may be directly coupled tointermediate structures, such as rails 34, which are, in turn, coupledto the walls 14a-14d.

Referring to FIG. 2, the latching structures 26 are undone and theopposing side walls 14a-14d are hinged downwardly to fold against thebase 12 and preferably inwardly on the base when the container 10 iscollapsed. When the side walls are moved to the collapsed position toreduce the size of the container 10, the support cables 32 are relaxedsuch that the dunnage pouches 40 fall down into a collapsed positionedand onto the base or the bottom 12 of container 10. FIG. 2 illustratesside wall 14a in a collapsed position. Similarly, opposing sidewall 14calso moves to a collapsed position such that the dunnage pouches 40relax onto the base 12 of the container with the side walls 14a, 14ccovering the dunnage pouches 40.

FIG. 1C illustrates an alternative embodiment of the support rail 34which might be utilized. Rail 35 is a flexible element, such as a cable,and is fastened between support structures 44 to suspend the supportcables 32. Alternatively, the ends of the rail cable 35 might be fixeddirectly to the side walls 14a-14d of the container, as appropriate, asillustrated in FIG. 1B for example. This would eliminate the need forstructures 44.

Preferably, the dunnage pouches 40 are made of pliable fabric or plasticof suitable strength which readily relaxes with the flexible supportcables 32 when the side walls are collapsed yet has sufficient strengthfor supporting and protecting the shipped product when the side wallsare erected to form the container 10. The support rails 34 arepositioned at the top edges 33 of the side walls in order to suspend thepouches generally above base 12 in the erected container 10. Suspendingthe dunnage pouches 40 above base 12 will prevent the product in thepouches from bouncing against the base when the container is shipped.However, the pouches 40 might be attached at their bottom ends (notshown) to base 12 to keep the pouches from moving around duringshipment.

Referring now to FIG. 3, when the side walls 14a and 14c have beencollapsed, the other opposing sides walls 14b and 14d are then collapsedto overlap side walls 14a, 14c. Side walls 14b and 14d are moved to acollapsed position to overlap the already collapsed side walls 14a, 14cand the dunnage pouches 40 to thereby contain the dunnage pouches withinthe container when it is returned. Preferably, the opposing side walls14b, 14d that will form the top of the collapsed container will hingefrom a position slightly above the overlapped collapsed side walls toform a flat, stackable return container. Referring to FIG. 3, a verticalallowance 50 is made on the base 12 so that side walls 14b, 14d mayeasily overlap the collapsed side walls 14a, 14c and thus lie flat andflush with the top of the return container 10. Preferably, the collapsedcontainer 10 will have approximately one-third (1/3) the height of anerected container so that generally three collapsed and returnedcontainers can be shipped back to the manufacturer in a space or volumenormally occupied by one fully erected container. In that way, shippingcosts are reduced and generally three collapsed containers can bereturned for the price a single erected container (i.e., a 3:1return-to-shipment ratio). Additionally, the collapsed containers occupysignificantly less storage space per unit thereby reducing storage costsas well as reducing shipping costs.

Furthermore, the container 10 of the invention provides integralreusable dunnage structures which remain with the reusable container 10when it is shipped full of product and also when it is returned forreuse. Simply by erecting the container for shipment, the dunnagestructures are moved into place in their engagement position by thesupport structures, like cables 32, and are ready to receive producttherein. No additional steps or labor is required to assemble andconstruct the dunnage structures or to position the dunnage structureswithin the container 10. The dunnage structures of the invention, whichare illustrated as dunnage pouches 40 in the preferred embodiment ofFIGS. 1-3, will automatically be suspended within the container toreceive product upon erecting the side walls 14a-14d. Furthermore, thedunnage pouches 40 do not have to be removed from the container 10 whenthe container is collapsed for return shipment and reuse. Simply movingthe side walls to a collapsed position to the reduce the size of thecontainer automatically relaxes the dunnage pouches 40 into the base 12of the container 10 for return shipment along with the container. It isno longer necessary to utilize labor resources to remove, disassemble,and dispose of the dunnage structures thereby resulting in substantiallabor cost savings for the assembly plant or other customer.Furthermore, disposal costs are eliminated because the dunnagestructures are reused along with the container and do not have to berecycled or wasted. When the container is erected, the dunnage pouches40 adequately engage, support and protect the product shipped in thecontainer to prevent damage thereto. Therefore, the reusable andreturnable container with collapsible reusable dunnage providessubstantial shipment, storage, labor and materials cost savings to boththe product manufacturer shipping the product and the customer who mustreturn the reusable container to the manufacturer.

FIGS. 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11 illustrate alternative embodiments ofcollapsible container structures with integrally supported dunnagestructures in accordance with the principles of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a shipping rack container or rack 60 which includes aframe having a generally rectangular bottom or base member 62 and asomewhat similarly-shaped top member 64 positioned vertically above thebase member 62. Collapsible legs 66 extend between the base member 62and top member 64 and include hinge elements 68 along their length toprovide for collapsing of the legs 66 along a hinge axis 70. The legsare hingedly coupled to the base members 62 and top member 64 byappropriate fasteners, such as rivets or pines 71, 72, respectively, forhinging the legs along axes 73 and 75. The sides of the frame aregenerally open.

FIG. 4 illustrates the rack container or rack 60 of the invention in anerected position for containing and shipping product therein. Inaccordance with the principles of the present invention, two opposingsides 74, 76 of the top member 64 include elongated support railelements 78, which extend generally the entire length of the sides 74,76. Flexible support structures or cables 80 span between the railelements 78 of sides 74, 76 and support dunnage structures, such asdunnage pouches 82, on the rack 60. When the frame of rack 60 iserected, i.e., when the collapsible legs 66 are in an erected position,the dunnage pouches 82 are suspended by the cables 80 generally abovethe base member 62 of the rack 60. As disclosed above, the pouches 40are preferably made of a strong, pliable fabric of cloth or plastic andare sewn or heat sealed at top edges thereof to the cables 80.Preferably, tensioning elements such as springs 83 provide tension onthe cables 80 for proper support of the dunnage pouches 82 when filledwith product. When a product is placed within the dunnage pouches 82, itis protected from abrasion and damage during shipment. Similar to thedunnage pouches 40 in FIGS. 1-3, the dunnage pouches 82 each have anyopening 84 formed between adjacent support cables 80. Once product isloaded into the pouches 82 with the frame of rack 60 in the erectedposition, the product is ready for shipment either in a single rack orin several racks stacked one on top of another or positionedside-by-side, such as in a truck. The bottom member 62 of the frame mayinclude appropriately formed openings 86 to received the forks of aforklift.

When the customer has unloaded all of the product from the dunnagepouches 82, rack 60 is collapsible for return shipment to themanufacturer for reuse in future shipments. To that end, the legs 66 ofthe rack frame are operable to hinge such that the legs fold inwardlytoward the center of the rack as illustrated in FIG. 5. Lockingstructures (not shown) might be utilized with the leg hinge elements 68to lock the legs in an erected position 66 and to subsequently beengaged to collapse the frame legs 66. To collapse the legs 66, they arepushed inwardly in the direction of arrow 67 to fold at the hingeelements 68. The top ends of the legs pivot along axis 75, while thebottom ends pivot along axis 73 so that the legs 66 may be folded asillustrated in FIG. 5.

When all of the legs 66 are simultaneously folded to a collapsedposition, the top member 64 is lowered to a position adjacent to andabove the base member 62. The collapsed legs 66 fold inwardly toward thecenter of rack 60 and are effectively sandwiched between the top member64 and base member 62. The pliable dunnage pouches 82 are operable torelax to a collapsed position when the rack is collapsed to provide areturn rack complete with dunnage, which occupies substantially lessspace than the erected rack. Referring to FIG. 5, the pliable pouches 82fold or crumple when the top member 64 is lowered. Preferably, thecollapsed rack is only about one-third (1/3) of the height of theerected rack so that three stacked and empty racks may be returned orstored in the same space normally occupied by an erected rack full ofproduct.

The dunnage pouches 82 are coupled to the rack frame and particularly tothe top member 64 of the rack frame to remain with the rack whethercollapsed or erected. When the rack is again erected, the dunnagepouches 82 are again suspended generally above the base member 62 bycables 80 so that product placed in the pouches will be protected by thepouches and the rack 60 during shipment. Unlike the embodiment of thecontainer of FIGS. 1-3, cables 80 of rack 60 span between the ends 74,76 of top member 64 regardless of whether the rack is erected orcollapsed because the ends 74, 76 do not hinge or fold inwardly to thecenter of the rack. That is, cables 80 remain under tension whether theframe of rack 60 is collapsed or erected. The rack 60 illustrated in theFIGS. 4-5 will be utilized for transporting large parts, such asautomobile door panels or the like and thus will generally be lifted bya machine such as a forklift.

Like the container of FIGS. 1-3, rack container 60 might also utilizedunnage structures other than those shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. For example,cable attachments in FIGS. 1A, 1B or 1C might be utilized. Similarly,the pouches or other dunnage structures might be fixed or otherwisecoupled directly to the top member 64 in a fashion similar to that shownin FIG. 1D.

FIG. 5A illustrates an alternative collapsible leg structure forcollapsing rack 60. Leg 87 is configured for telescoping to a shorterlength for collapsing rack 60. To that end, leg 87 includes telescopingsegments 88a, 88b, 88c and 88d. The bottom segment 88d is coupled tobase member 62 while the top segment 88a is mounted to top member 64.The top segment 88a is fixed to top member 64 by a stand-off structure89 for ensuring that the leg segments will nest properly withoutinterfering with the top member when the rack 60 is collapsed and thelegs 87 are telescoped to their shorter length. The leg 87 includes balldetentes 91 or other appropriate structures which hold the leg in theerected position. The ball detentes 91 are engaged appropriately tocollapse leg 87.

FIGS. 6 and 7 illustrate another embodiment of the container of thepresent invention which is formed as a tote box container or totecontainer capable of being manually handled and carried. The tote boxcontainer 90 of the invention comprises a generally flat base or bottommember 92 which is generally rectangular and forms a floor of thecontainer 90 and a top member 94 which is also generally rectangular andis open so that product may be placed in and removed from the container.Pairs of opposing side walls 96, 98 and 100, 102 form the sides ofcontainer 90. The sides walls 96, 98 are hingedly coupled to the topmember 94 to hinge or swing upwardly and downwardly with respect to thetop member and around axis 104. For example, the side walls 96, 98 mightbe coupled to the top member 94 by pins (not shown) extending from sideedges of the side walls 96, 98 to fit into hinge holes 97 formed in topmember 94 so that the side walls pivot at their top edges with respectto the top member 94.

In the erected position as shown in FIG. 6, the side walls 96, 98 areswung downwardly away from the top member 94 to extend between the topmember 94 and base member 92 generally perpendicular to the planes ofboth of these members. The other pair of opposing side walls 100, 102include upper and lower sections 106, 108, respectively, which arecoupled together at an intermediate hinge structure 109 so that the sidewalls 100, 102 may fold inwardly toward the center of container 90 whenthe container is collapsed (see FIG. 7). To that end, the side walls100, 102 are hinged along their upper edge 110 to top member 94.Appropriate hinge structures (not shown) couple the side walls 100, 102to the top member 94 so that the side walls 100, 102 hinge along an axis111. For example, the side walls might include pins (not shown) whichare received in hinge holes 113 in top member 94. The bottom edges 112of the side walls 100, 102 are also hingedly attached to bottom member92 by an appropriate hinging structure (not shown) so that the sidewalls 100, 102 hinge with respect to base member 92 along axis 115. Thetop edge 110 corresponds to the top edge of upper section 106, while thebottom edge 112 corresponds to the bottom edge of bottom section 108.

Tote container 90 includes collapsible and reusable dunnage similar tothe dunnage included in the containers previously disclosed herein inaccordance with the principles of the invention. That is, dunnage ispositioned in the tote 90 and is movable between an engagementpositioned and a collapsed position when the tote 90 is erected andcollapsed, respectively. In one version, flexible support cables 114span between rails 116 which are fixed to opposing ends 117, 119 of thetop member 94. Alternatively, as illustrated in FIG. 1B, the cables 114might be fixed directly to the top member 94 thus eliminating the railelements 115. The rails 116 are fixed directly to the top member 94 oralternatively might be held thereto by supporting structures similar tostructures 44 shown in FIG. 1. Furthermore, rails 116 may be rigid, orthey may be flexible cables as illustrated in FIG. 1C. The cables 114span between the ends 117, 119 of the top member 94 and provide supportstructures for pliable dunnage structures, such as dunnage pouches 118,suspended from the cables 114. The dunnage pouches 118 are similar tothose already discussed. As discussed above, each cable preferablyincludes at least one tensioning element, such as spring 121, to provideproper tension on the cables 114 for proper support of the dunnagepouches when they contain product therein. Preferably, the dunnagepouches 118 are supported so that, when the container 90 is erected,they are suspended above the base member 92 of the container. Thepouches 118 may also be fixed to the base member 92 to hold them inposition when the container is shipped full of product.

When the tote container 90 of the invention is erected, top member 94 israised above base member 92 and the side walls 100, 102 are foldedoutwardly from the center of the container. Preferably, the hingestructures 109 lock the side walls 100, 102 into an erected positionsuch that the upper section 106 and bottom section 108 are generallycoextensive with each other to form each side wall 100, 102. The otheropposing side walls 96, 98 are then swung downwardly about axis 104 inthe direction of arrow 123 to form a tote container 90 which iscontained on all sides by solid side walls to protect products placedwithin the container 90 as illustrated in FIG. 6.

When the product shipped in tote container 90 has been emptied from thedunnage pouches 118, the tote container may be collapsed to a smallersize for return shipment to the manufacturer to be reused. Referring toFIG. 7, the tote container 90 is collapsed by first hinging or swingingthe side walls 96, 98 upwardly along axis 104 and in the direction ofarrow 125 to a generally horizontal position parallel to a plane definedby top member 94. In doing so, the pliable dunnage pouches 118 arepushed upwardly by the side walls 96, 98. The dunnage pouches arepreferably formed of a resilient, pliable material as discussedhereinabove and will generally lie in a compressed or relaxed state onthe top of collapsed side walls 96, 98 adjacent top member 94 as shownin FIG. 7.

Next, the side walls 100, 102 are hinged inwardly at hinge 109 in thedirection of arrows 127 so that the side walls 100, 102 fold inwardlytoward the center of the tote container 90 to be sandwiched between thetop member 94 and base member 92. If the hinge structures 109 include alocking device (not shown) to keep the side walls 100, 102 erect, thelocking device must be disengaged before collapsing the side walls. Whenthe tote container 90 is collapsed, and the sides walls 100, 102 fold,the top edges 110 of the side walls also hinge along axis line 111 withrespect to the top member 94, and the lower edges 112 along the axisline 113 with respect to the base member 92. Referring to FIG. 7, thetop member 94 is lowered against base member 92 and the folded sidewalls 100, 102 will lie between the top member 94 and bottom member 92to form a collapsed tote container which has a shorter vertical heightthan the erected container. Preferably, the collapsed container has aheight which is only approximately one-fourth (1/4) of the height of theerected container to provide a four-to-one (4:1) return-to-shipmentratio. However, the container might be configured to collapse to ashorter size for a higher return-to-shipment ratio. Referring to FIG. 7,the height of collapsed container 90 will comprise the height of topmember 94 along with the height of the bottom member 92, with dunnagepouches 118 resting on the collapsed side walls 96, 98 generallyparallel to top member 94.

In accordance with the principles of the present invention, the dunnageis maintained within the tote container 90 and is moved into anengagement position simply by reversing the collapsing technique. Thatis, the top member 94 is lifted away from the base member 92 so that theside wails 100, 102 fold outwardly at hinge structures 109.Subsequently, the side walls 96, 98 swing downwardly to form thecomplete erected body of the container 90. When the side walls 96, 98are moved to an erected position, the dunnage pouches 118 dropdownwardly into the container to be suspended from the flexible supportcables 114 in the engagement position, and are then configured tocontain and protect product shipped or stored in the tote container.Alternatively, the pouches may be coupled directly to top member 94 asillustrated in FIG. 1D.

FIGS. 8 and 9 illustrate another version of the tote container whereintote 130 is formed preferably from a unitary blank so that the variousside walls are integrally connected together. Tote 130 comprises a bodywith side walls 132, 134 and hingeable side walls 136, 138. The topedges 140 of the side walls 132, 134 are coupled to the tote body by ahinge or score line 141 to swing toward the top of the container tocollapse the tote (FIG. 9). The bottom edge 143 and side edges 145 arefree to allow movement of the side walls 132, 134 as described. Thehingeable side walls 136, 138 are coupled to the tote container body atthe top edge 146 and bottom edge 147 by hinge lines 148, 149,respectively. An intermediate hinge line 150 provides foldable hingingof the side walls 136, 138 as previously discussed. Tote container 130includes dunnage structures 152 in accordance with the principles of theinvention, which are attached to the tote container to operate with thecontainer as previously described.

Referring to FIG. 9, the tote container collapsed with dunnage thereinin a similar fashion as the embodiment of FIGS. 6 and 7 to form acollapsed tote container which is substantially smaller than an erectedcontainer. The version of the tote container 130 would be relativelysimpler and cheaper to manufacture because of its integral construction.The tote container 130 might be die cut and scored as appropriate andmay be made of a corrugated paperboard or corrugated plasticconstruction.

FIGS. 10 and 11 illustrate another alternative embodiment of thecontainer in the invention. The container 160 of FIG. 10 is commonlyreferred to as a sleeve pack container and comprises a sleeve 162 which,when erected, fits into a pallet base 164 and is covered by a cover ortop 166 to form a complete container. Pallet base 164 preferably hasforklift openings 167 for handling container 160.

Sleeve 162 may be formed of a corrugated paperboard or corrugatedplastic and has a plurality of vertical score lines or hinge linesformed therein. More particularly, the sleeve has opposing sets of sidewalls 170, 172. The side walls are hingedly connected at their sideedges by hinge lines 174 for forming the sleeve 162. Alternatively,hinge structures (not shown) might be utilized as shown in patentapplication U.S. Ser. No. 08/412,141 entitled SLEEVE PACK ASSEMBLY whichillustrates a sleeve pack design appropriate for practicing theinvention, and which application is incorporated herein by reference inits entirety. Vertical hinge lines 176 are also formed intermediate thesides of side walls 172 for collapsing the side walls 172 as discussedbelow.

Sleeve 162 contains integral collapsible dunnage in accordance with theprinciples of the invention. To that end, sleeve 162 comprises aplurality of dunnage pouches 178 which, in one version, are suspended byflexible cables 179 coupled to rails 180 by tension elements 181.Alternatively, the pouches may be coupled directly to side walls 170(see FIG. 1D). The pouches 178 are suspended in sleeve 162 to containand protect product. Greater detail on the pouches is disclosed above.

Sleeve 162, when erected as shown in FIG. 10, fits into a peripheralgroove 182 formed in pallet base 164. The groove 182 and rigidity ofbase 164 maintain the sleeve erect when the pouches are loaded withproduct. In an alternative version, a collapsible reinforcement bar orstrip 184 might be utilized along the top edge of the collapsible sidewalls 172 (see FIG. 10). When container 160 is fully assembled, cover166 is placed on the top of sleeve 162 to fully contain the products inpouches 178 to prepare them for shipment.

To collapse container 160, cover 166 is removed and the sleeve 162 islifted from base 164. The side walls 172 are then folded inwardly alonghinge lines 176 as shown in FIG. 11 to collapse the sleeve 162. In doingso, the reinforcement bar 184 must also be collapsed or moved out of theway as appropriate. When sleeve 162 is thus collapsed, the pouches 178are held between the side walls 170 which are moved closer together toflatten the sleeve 162.

Referring to FIG. 11, the reinforcement bar 184 might be a rigid barwhich does not fold or collapse. In such a case, the bar might bepivotally attached at one side 185 and may swing down to a verticalposition as shown in FIG. 11 for collapsing sleeve 162. To erect thesleeve 162, the bar 184 is swung back into a horizontal positionproximate the top edge of the sleeve and held in place by a clip 186 orother structure (see FIG. 10).

When sleeve 162 is collapsed, the dunnage pouches 179 collapse betweenside walls 170. The pliable pouches 178, and flexible cables 179, ifutilized, allow the sleeve to fold down to a relatively thin shape forreturn shipment. The sleeves may then be stacked flat with the base andcover for a higher return ratio. The collapsed sleeve contains thedunnage therein when returned, and the dunnage will be constructed backinto the engagement position when the sleeve is erected.

While the present invention has been illustrated by a description ofvarious embodiments and while these embodiments have been described inconsiderable detail, it is not the intention of the applicants torestrict or in any way limit the scope of the appended claims to suchdetail. Additional advantages and modifications will readily appear tothose skilled in the art. For example, the dunnage structures used inthe invention might be structures other than the pouches which wouldsimilarly be erected and collapsed when the container is erected andcollapsed. The invention in its broader aspects is therefore limitedonly by the claims herein. Accordingly, departures may be made from thedetailed description without departing from the spirit or scope ofapplicant's general inventive concept.

What is claimed is:
 1. A reusable and returnable container for holdingproduct therein during shipment and subsequently being returnedgenerally empty of product for reuse, comprising:a body having a bottomand at least two side walls coupled to the bottom, the side wallsconfigured for being movable between an erected position for containinga product placed in the container and a collapsed position for reducingthe size of the container for return; a dunnage structure positionedgenerally inside of the body, the dunnage structure having an upper edgewith a longitudinal axis spanning between said side walls and supportedby the side walls, the upper edge forming an opening for receiving aproduct placed in the container for shipment when the side walls are inan erected position; the upper edge of the dunnage structure operablefor flexing transversely to said longitudinal axis to relax the dunnagestructure when the side walls are moved to a collapsed position suchthat the relaxed dunnage structure is generally positioned in thereduced size container for return; whereby the container providesreusable dunnage which is usable with the container when it is shippedand subsequently remains with the container when it is returned forbeing reused when the container is again shipped.
 2. The container ofclaim 1 further comprising a support structure wherein the supportstructure is coupled between the side walls to span across the containerbody when the side walls are in an erected position and is coupled tothe dunnage structure to support the structure.
 3. The container ofclaim 2 further comprising a rail element coupled to at least one ofsaid two side walls, the support structure coupled to said rail elementto be supported thereby.
 4. The container of claim 2 wherein the supportstructure comprises an elongated flexible element extending between theside walls, the flexible element operably flexing when the side wallsare collapsed to relax the dunnage structure therebetween.
 5. Thecontainer of claim 4 wherein the elongated flexible element is a cable.6. The container of claim 4 wherein the flexible element includes atensioning element located at a position along its length for providingtension on the flexible element when the container side walls areerected.
 7. The container of claim 3 wherein the rail element comprisesa flexible element.
 8. The container of claim 2 further comprising aplurality of support structures extending between the side walls and aplurality of dunnage structures coupled to the support structures. 9.The container of claim 1 wherein the dunnage structure is suspended tohang down into the body when the side walls are in an erected position.10. The container of claim 2 wherein the support structure is fixedlyattached to a side wall.
 11. The container of claim 2 wherein saidsupport structure is coupled proximate an upper edge of the side wall,the dunnage structure hanging downwardly from the support structure andhaving an effective depth approximately equal to the depth of theerected container body.
 12. The container of claim 1 wherein the dunnagestructure is a pouch for holding the product.
 13. The container of claim12 wherein the pouch is pliable to relax within the reduced sizecontainer for return.
 14. The container of claim 1 wherein the sidewalls are hingedly coupled to the bottom for being movable between theerected and collapsed positions.
 15. The container of claim 14 whereinthe side walls hinge down to a position adjacent the bottom when in acollapsed position.
 16. The container of claim 2, the dunnage structurebeing movably coupled to the support structure for moving with respectto the support structure within the container.
 17. A reusable andreturnable container for holding product therein during shipment andsubsequently being returned generally empty of product for reusecomprising:a body configured for being manipulated into an erectedposition for containing a product placed therein during shipment and forsubsequently being manipulated into a collapsed position for reducingthe size of the container for return; a dunnage structure coupled to thebody and having an upper edge with a longitudinal axis spanning acrossthe body, the dunnage structure operable for moving into an engagementposition when the container body is erected to thereby receive a productplaced in the container for shipment the dunnage structure furtheroperable for flexing transversely to said longitudinal axis at the upperedge thereof and moving into a relaxed position when the container bodyis collapsed so that the container and dunnage structure may be returnedtogether for reuse; whereby the container provides reusable dunnagewhich is usable with the container when it is shipped and subsequentlyremains with the container when it is returned for being reused when thecontainer is again shipped.
 18. The container of claim 17 wherein thebody includes sides and a bottom, the sides being operable for moving,alternatively, between an erected state and a collapsed state when thebody is manipulated between an erected position and a collapsedposition, respectively.
 19. The container of claim 18 wherein thedunnage structure is coupled to the sides for moving to an engagementposition when the sides are erected and moving to a relaxed positionwhen the sides are collapsed.
 20. The container of claim 17 wherein thedunnage structure is a pouch for holding the product.
 21. The containerof claim 17 further comprising sides and a support member extendingbetween the sides of the container body, the dunnage structure coupledto the support member for being supported in an engagement position whenthe container body is erected.
 22. The container of claim 21 wherein thesupport member is movably coupled to said sides for moving the dunnagestructures within the container.
 23. The container of claim 21 whereinthe support member comprises a flexible cable.
 24. The container ofclaim 17 further comprising a plurality of adjacent dunnage structuresin the container body for receiving a plurality of products duringshipment.
 25. The container of claim 17 where the body includes a bottomand side walls, at least two opposing side walls being hingedly attachedto the bottom for moving between an erected state and a collapsed state.26. The container of claim 17 wherein the body includes a bottom and atop and side walls extending therebetween, said side walls beingoperably manipulated to lower the top to the bottom and reduce theheight of the container when the body is manipulated into a collapsedposition.
 27. The container of claim 26 where at least one of the sidewalls is foldable between said top and bottom to lower the top to thebottom.
 28. The container of claim 26 wherein at least one of said sidewalls is hinged with respect to said body top and bottom and is operableto hinge toward one of said top and bottom so that the top of the bodymay be lowered to the bottom.
 29. The container of claim 17 wherein thebody includes opposing side walls forming a sleeve, at least two of saidopposing side walls including vertical hinge lines and operable forfolding along said hinge lines to reduce the depth of the sleeve in acollapsed position of the body.
 30. The container of claim 1 furthercomprising a rail element coupled to at least one of said side walls,the dunnage structure coupled to the rail element for being supported bythe side walls.